Tuning mechanism for stringed instruments



P. G. PAXON. TUNING MEGHANISM FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. No. 450,808.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr.21, 1891.

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NTTED STATES PATENT Orricnt FRANK G. FAXON, OF MOUNT MORRIS, NEV YORK.

TUNING MECHANISM FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,808, dated April21, 1891. Application filed September 30, 1890. Serial No. 366,635. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. FAXoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Morris, in the county of Livingston and State of NewYork, have invented an Improvement in Tuning Mechanism for StringedInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

In stringed instrumentssuch as the most approved violins, seconds,violoncellos, and doublebass-the tuning-pins are parallel t each otherand are introduced from opposite sides into and through the head, whichhead is mortised forthe strings to pass from the nut to and around suchtuning-pins, and in some stringed instruments the tuning-pins arerotated by keys at right angles to the pins and provided With screws orWorms that act upon wheels upon the tuning-pins.

The object of the present invention is to provide a reliable device forholding the tuning-pins in the position to which they may be turned intightening the strings, and at the same time to keep `the pegs in thesame positions that they have heretofore occupied in instruments of thiskind, and this I accomplish without changing the shape of the head ofthe violin and withoutv materially increasing its weight; and theinvention consists in the combination of devices hereinafter set forthand claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a face view of the head of the instrumentwith my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 is across-section longitudinally of the peg or key.

I provide for each of the strings a tuningpin d, around which the stringis wound by the rotation ofthe pin, and these pins, instead of lyingparallel t0 the face of the violin, stand vertically, or nearly so, andthe tuning-pegs O, which occupy the same positions as the -ordinarytuning-pegs in a violin, become keys for turning the tuning-pins, therebeing a screw or worm 2 upon each tuning-peg acting upon a small gear orwheel 3 upon the lower part of the tuning-pin.

In order vto sustain the respective timing pins and pegs, I make use ofa light metallic box I, which may be of aluminum or other light strongmetal, and the head A of the violin is mortised to receive this metallicbox- I, and the mortise is undercut below the scroll head A of theviolin for the reception of one end of the metallic box I, and the otherend of such metallic box rests against the end of the mortise adjacentto the nut it, over which the strings pass, and a screw may be made use0f at this end for holding the metallic box firmly into position. Thismetallic box is to be adapted to receiving the tuning-pegs transverselyacross it and to receiving the tuningpins at right angles to the pegs7the gears of the tuning-pins being within the box, and this metallic boxmay be made up of sheet metal, the parts being soldered, riveted,orotherwise properly secured together; but the top 5 of the box and theside 6 are preferably made together and stamped up into shape, and thebottom 7 is removable and secured by screws or other connections in anyconvenient manner for firmly uniting the bottom to the sides of the box,and it is preferable to provide bushes or bearings for the respectivepegs and pins that are Wider than the thickness of the metal of the box,in order to prevent the respective bearings wearing away with rapidity.

By arranging the parts in the manner represented in Fig. l two of thetuning-pegs come at one side of the head and two at the other side ofthe head, and the E and G strings are wound upon the pegs in theopposite directions from the D and A strings, and by this arrangementthe tension of the respective strings, acting to rotate the tuning-pins,tends to draw the tuning-pegs inwardly into the head, and the stringspass directly and in straight lines from the grooves in the nut t to therespective tuning-pins and without coming into contact with any othertuning-pin; and in order to tune the instrument the respectivetuning-pegs O are rotated in the ordinary manner and in the directionusual in tuning violins, and their positions upon the head of theinstrument remain unchanged, and the slight additional weight resultingfrom the use of the metallic box and tuningpins is compensated to aconsiderable extent by the removal of the wood-work in forming themortise for the reception of the metallic box.

Each of the tuning-pegs can be made ap IOO proximately similar 'fo theordinary violinpeg so far as the exterior portion thereof; but Withinthe box the metallic portion of the tuning-peg and the screur or Wormpinion thereof are supported by the bearings in the sides of themetallic box, and it is preferable to extend the metallic portion of thepeg into the ebony, hard rubber, or other material forming the head ofthe key, and to securely connect the respective parts by a square uponthe portion of the metal entering the head of the peg and by a metallicferrule or band around the shank of the peg adjacent to the bearing inthe side of the box. The hole for the peg in one side 6 of the box is tobe sufficicntly large for the screw or Worm pinion to pass through thesame, and at the other side of the box the end of the peg passes througha smaller hole, and it is provided With a collar or shoulder at one sideand a suitable washer 9 and nut S at the end, such Washer passingthrough the Wood of the head of the violin and coming against the outersurface of the metallic box, and it is preferable to fit the Washer 9upon a square at the small end of the tuning-peg between the nut S andthe side of the box, so as to prevent the nut becoming loose as thetuning-peg is turned; and the nut may be incased in hard rubber or othermaterial in imitation of the end of an ordinary violin-peg. The frictionmay be regulated by tightening` or loosening' the nuts, so that theforce required to turn the pegs may be nearly uniform.

Itis preferable to make the metallic box slightly wider at the top 5than it is at the bottom 7, so that it may Wedge into the mortise in thehead of the violin; and there may be veneers l2 glued upon the innerface of the head above the top surface 5 of the metal box, so as to forma finish to the Wooden surface of the head, and at the same time aid inholding the metallic box firmly in its place.

It is preferable to have the top 5 of the metal box closed throughout toexclude dust, but the bottom of the box and the sides can be perforatedto a greater or less extent, so as to lessen the Weight of such box.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, With the violin-head and theusual nut or bearer on the same for the strings, of a metal boxintroduced into a mortise in the head and having a straight or nearlystraight bearing end within the mortise, and an inclined upper endpassing into the undercut end of the mortise and tuningpegs, pins, andWorm-gears, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the violin-head and the usual nut or bearer onthe same for the strings, of a metal box introduced into a mortise inthe head and having a straight or nearly straight bearing end within themortise, and an inclined upper end passing into the undercut end of themortise and the tuning-pegs, pins, and Worm-gears, and the ve` neerfacings to the mortise within the head and at the top of the metal box,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the metal box, tuning-pins, and their gears, oftuning-pegs, each having a circular bearing, ascrew or worm of the sameor smaller size than the circular bearing, a reduced bearing andshoulder near the smaller end of the pin, a Washer with a polygonalopening setting over the corresponding part of the pin, and a nut forapplying the required friction to the tuning-peg, substantially asspecified.

Signed by me this 26th day of September, 1890.

F. G. FAXON.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. Moir'r.

